Delhi court grants bail to Somnath Bharti in domestic violence case

A Dwarka court on Wednesday granted bail to Somnath Bharti in connection with a domestic violence case lodged against him.

New Delhi: A Dwarka court on Wednesday granted bail to AAP leader and former Delhi law minister Somnath Bharti in connection with a domestic violence and attempt to murder case
lodged against him by his wife Lipika Mitra.

The court also ordered Bharti to furnish a personal bond of Rs one lakh to secure his release.

Bharti had yesterday termed the domestic violence and attempt to murder case against him as a "BJP-sponsored litigation".

The AAP MLA was granted bail despite strong objections from the Delhi Police which contended that he was an influential person who could hamper the probe.

The order was passed by Additional Sessions Judge Anil Kumar, who had heard arguments on Bharti's bail plea yesterday.

During an over two-and-a-half hearing on bail plea, advocate Vijay Aggarwal appearing for Bharti claimed it was a case of an "on-and-off relationship" which was blown out of proportion due to political motives and alleged that it was a "BJP-sponsored litigation".

"I am an MLA and have to look after the work of my constituency. I have deep root in the society and if granted bail, I will not flee from the justice...Everyone recognizes me where will I escape," he said.

Aggarwal said Bharti himself was a lawyer, a former Law Minister of Delhi and would respect the law. The AAP leader has also to look after his aged parents, the lawyer said and urged the court to enlarge him on bail while imposing any condition on him.

"I will join the investigation as and when called by the Investigation Officer and there is no point of influencing the witnesses. If court wants, it can bar me from leaving Delhi or it can confine me at my residing place that is Malviya Nagar constituency," the lawyer said.

While citing some transcripts of recorded phone calls and SMSs exchanged between Bharti and his wife Lipika Mitra, he said "the dog in question 'Don' was being fed by Lipika, then how can it bite her? She also kept wearing all the jewellery, which meant these were with her."

The lawyer also alleged it was Lipika who had threatened to cut herself after which Bharti had called her mother and brother to intervene and settle the matter.

"Both (Lipika and Bharti) kept on talking in normal terms even after the complaint and FIR was registered. This shows that everything was normal," he said.

Opposing Bharti's plea, Additional Public Prosecutor Shailendra Babbar said when Bharti was not in police custody he tried to misuse his liberty.

Maintaining that Bharti's conduct has been "very dubious", the prosecutor asked "what would he do if he is granted bail.

"In case he is enlarged on bail, he would influence the witnesses as he is a very influential man.

There are witnesses who are not coming forward to depose because of his influence. Granting him bail will hamper investigation which is at a primitive stage," Babbar said.

With PTI inputs